History, great food converge at the Depot in Plymouth

The popular PJ Campbell's at The Depot in Plymouth serves delectable German dishes

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The twisted Bavarian pretzel is among the offerings at PJ Campbell’s at The Depot in Plymouth. A recent visit saw the dish served with warm cheese sauce, stone ground mustard and an ancho chipotle sauce.
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Brian Bernier/For Gannett Wisconsin Media
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The building in Plymouth that now houses PJ Campbell's at The Depot was originally built in 1912 to serve as one of two train depots for the area.

It was sold in 1973 and converted into a restaurant. It changed hands a few times, and in 2011, chef Patrick Campbell and his wife, Judy, bought it.

They remodeled the depot, uncovering the original floor in the bar area. They also decorated the walls with pictures and interesting bits of history from the Plymouth area and have continued to make updates each year, including building an outdoor beer garden that opened in summer.

Too bad we just discovered the restaurant in October, as the beer garden looks like a fun place to relax and hang out with friends.

In addition to the traditional supper club choices of beef, pork, chicken and seafood, the Campbells added a few German specialty dishes. I don't think I have ever seen so many different fish-fry offerings for a Friday night.

Having dined at authentic German restaurants and attending the closest thing to Oktoberfest in Munich (Oktoberfest in Frankenmuth, Mich.), I was excited about the German fare and wanted to see how Patrick and his crew stacked up.

There were many tasty appetizer choices, but we had to try the twisted Bavarian pretzel, which as the menu states, features "one large warmed soft pretzel."

It came with three tasty dipping sauces: warm cheese sauce, stone ground mustard and an ancho chipotle sauce. We ordered it at the bar because we had a bit of a wait for our table. The pretzel was huge, tasty and authentically Bavarian. We made lots of friends sharing what we couldn't finish with others who were waiting to be seated.

We were seated in a large dining room with family reunions, high school kids out for homecoming and others just like us discovering the restaurant's delectable offerings.

I changed my dinner plans three times from the time we arrived to the time we ordered. First, when we parked, we could smell the barbecue ribs being seared over open flames and slathered with sauce (at least that's what I pictured in my head). Next it was prime rib, as it was Saturday night after all. Our waitress, Diana, answered all our questions, and I decided on German food and ordered the wiener schnitzel, and my wife ordered the prime rib. I talked her into the 16-ounce so she could share.

The tender veal cutlet was cooked to perfection — no knife required — and was accompanied by braised red cabbage and Grandma Uselding's homemade spaetzle. The entree exceeded my expectations and truly would be enjoyed by everyone.

As expected, my wife couldn't finish her prime rib, and I had the opportunity to indulge. It was hand-rubbed and cooked to perfection. Ahhh, horseradish sauce. This isn't offered many places these days, and the fact that the restaurant had it brought excitement to my taste buds.

After the pretzel and dinners, there wasn't room for the homemade Austrian apple strudel or a large potato pancake filled with sauteed Fuji apples and three scoops of vanilla ice cream.

I had a chance to meet Patrick after dinner and ask him why he thinks his restaurant is attracting so many people.

"We are family owned, and when people come here we want (them) to feel like part of our extended family," he said.

Patrick's wife, Judy, works the front end, and their two daughters cook alongside him. They looked like a beehive. Everyone knew what part they played in the restaurant and happily did their part.

I suggest you make reservations to enjoy the great food, great friends and a bit of history.